To compare real-life performance at an effective focal length of 50mm, I shot this scene with the Sony Cyber-shot RX10, Olympus STYLUS 1 and Panasonic Lumix FZ200 within a few moments of each other using their base sensitivities and best quality JPEG settings. I tried every aperture setting and selected the sharpest result for the crops below.

For comparison here I attempted to match the vertical coverage as closely as possible on all three models. Each was delivering an effective focal length of around 50mm on this page.

For my results at other focal lengths, noise and RAW comparisons, see the results index above right.

On my second results page I'll compare all three cameras at an equivalent focal length of 50mm, and as before I've attempted to match their vertical coverage by fine-tuning their zooms. The crops, as always, are taken from the areas indicated by the red rectangles and reproduced below at 100%. The STYLUS 1 and FZ200 crops show the same area as both share the same 12 Megapixel resolution, while the RX10 crops show a smaller area due to its higher 20 megapixel resolution.

I tested all three cameras at every aperture setting and at an equivalent of 50mm I found the RX10 and FZ200 were crispest wide-open at f2.8, while the STYLUS 1 performed best closed a stop to f4, delivering a slightly more contrasty result that was also better corrected at the edges.

With all three zoomed-into 50mm, their optical sharpness becomes closer than at wide angle. The STYLUS 1 improves a lot at the edges compared to the last page, although I'd still say the FZ200 enjoys a minor edge in sharpess, albeit nothing to base a buying decision on. Interestingly in the first row, the STYLUS 1 enjoys a small advantage over the FZ200, better resolving the tonal detail which separates the lines on the blue window and entrance blinds. But again it's the Sony RX10 which delivers the best result here with crisp details up to the edges and a higher degree of real life detail thanks to its higher resolution.

What happens as they zoom-in further? To find out, I additionally tested the three cameras at 100 and 200mm, followed by comparing the STYLUS 1 and FZ200 at 300mm and finally checking out how the FZ200 looks at 600mm. Find out how they compare in my 100mm comparison, 200mm comparison, 300mm comparison and 600mm comparison. Alternatively you can compare their performance at higher sensitivities in my noise results or check out what's happening behind the scenes in my RAW noise results. Or perhaps you'd like to check out my sample images or skip straight to my verdict on all three cameras!

Ebooks are a great way to learn more about photography and hone your skills. There's a fantastic selection covering every aspect of imaging over at Digital Photography School, and you can support my work at Cameralabs every time you buy one - thanks! Click here to visit Digital Photography School.

All words, images, videos and layout, copyright 2005-2016 Gordon Laing. May not be used without permission.